Safety appliance for air-craft.



E. L. WAIGHT.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR AIR CRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17, 1911.

i l/VVENTUI? w W 5 Y I 1 m ATTORNEY E. L.. WAIGHT. SAFETY APPLIANCE FORAIR CRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17, 1911.

Patented July 14, 1914,

ATTORNEY E. L. WAIGHT. SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR AIR CRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17 1911.

Patented July 14, 1914.

4 SHEETS'SHEET 3.

0" T mi W WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY B. L. WAIGHT. SAFETY APPLIANCE FOE AIR CRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED APR.17, 1911.

Patented July 14, 1914,

4 SHEETS-BHBET '4.

8M3 S 1 A i l/VVE/VTUR WA. 34 %&5 A 7 TOR/VEY WITNESSES- UNITED STATESPATENT iznwann L. 'WAIGHT, or'san snancisco, camro mm.

sarn'rx APPLIANCE non AIR-CRAFT.

I Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 14,1914. Application n 51111.17, 1911. Serial no. 621,727- 1 To all whom it may concern: Be itknownthat I, EDWARD L. WAIGHT, a citizen of the United States, andresident of San Francisco, California, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Safety Appliances for AirCraft, whereof thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to the art of aerial navigation, and especially todevices in that art for insuring a slow and safe descent, and arestoratmn to equilibrium, of air crafts, including aeroplanes, whichfrom one cause or another, may have their buoy-v ancy endangered. g

The object of m invention is to provide in devices of the c aracterdescribed," novel means forautomatically releasin and putting intooperation the safety evices referred to, such as may be gas, compressedair or, other means 'wherewith quick action can be obtained, but for thepurpose of this application I" shall hereafter. refer to explosivemeans, and with this object in mind my invention consistsin combiningwith a parachute case carried on and, secured to an a1rsh1p, explosivemeans for discharging the parachute therefrom into operative po sition.

It also consists in combining with a parachute case carried on andsecured to an airship, explosive means for discharging the parachutetherefrom into operative position, and means for automatically producingthe explosion at the required instant.

It also consists in combiningwith a parachute case carried on andsecured to an airship, explosive means for discharging the parachutetherefrom into operative position and electrical means for automaticallyproducing the explosion at the required instant.

It also further consists in the novel parts, combinations andarrangements described in the followin description, shown in theaccompanying our sheets of drawings, and particularly pointed out in theclaims at the end hereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1, is a View in elevation of a parachute as itappears in practice and a vertical section of the para ber at therequire moment.

enormous quantities of matically explodin a charge'in "said cham- Fig.3, is a central vertical section enlarged of the lower portion of thecase and the parachute therein, the explosion chamber with its electricexploders and the Windlass for winding in the parachute rope, beingshown in elevation. Fig. 4, is a central longitudinal section of theelectricexploder. Figs. 5, 6 andf7 are detail views in section of theelectric explodr. Fig. 8, is an elevation partly in section of thependulum automatic switch for closing the exploder circuit.

The same numeral of reference denotes the same part in whichever view itmay appear. I

In the drawings 1, is a case of suitable size for incasing a parachute 2when the latter is folded after the manner of an umbrella, and said caseis preferably of cylindrical shape. It isattached to an airship bysuitable means, as the rods 3, and is provided with a Windlass 4 fordrawing in the parachute rope 5.

On the bottom of the parachuteat the point where the suspension cords 6approximate one another is a piston 7, which fits the cylindrical caseLand is drawn to a position near, the bottom of said case, by theWindlass 4. Below said piston in its normal position is an explosionchamber 8; and in said explosion chamber is locateda cartridge, or aplurality thereof as Qand 10 as maybe desired. The cartridges c0Ii-yvtain explosive substances which evolve gas under high pressure whenexploded. Within said ourtridges are arranged electric exploders -11,details of which are shown in Fi s. 5, 6, and 7; 12 being the he'adcarryin t e leading wires 13, 14; 15 being the e ectric fuse portion and16 being the detonating portion. From the leads 13 and 14 extends anelectric circuit including the wires 17 and 18, and the'battery 19.Included also .in said circuit are the means for automatically closingthe same at the required instant, for

dischargin the cartridge aforesaid, which comprise. the contact pendulum20, electri- .cally connected with wire 18 and the contact ring 21,electrically connected with wire 17. Pendulum 20, is suspended by'balland socket joints 22 from the airship; and the ring 21 is rigidlysuspended asby the rods 23 and 24, w ich are firmly fixed'to the airshipat the points 25 and 26.

Considering now the operation of my device as far as described. Thependulum naturally hangs in a vertical direction, and so long as theairship remains in or near a state of normal equilibrium,'is out ofcontact with the contact ri 21. But supposingthe airship shouldti t;then s'ome portion of'the ring will come into contact with said pendulumthereby closing the circuit and exploding the cartridge which generatesgas into the chamber 8 and shoots the piston outwardly in the cylinderand consequently forces the parachute out in an ex- I further expandstheparachute and causes panded form where it is held in an operativeposition by the end of the rope 5, which is secured to the Windlass. Anyforce on the rope 5, as that produced by a falling airship the airshipto fall slowly, at the same time tending to right it.

The righting 'tendency may be produced by securing the parachute to thetop-of the airship; or when several parachutes are used, to selectedpoints along the sides.

I provide also means for adjusting my automatic contact device for anydesired degree of tilting which consists inthe sleeves 27 and 28 fixedto ring 21', and slidable over the sustaining rods 23 and 24, beingfixed thereto-in any desired position by the set screws 29 and 30, andfor accurately adjusting the position of the ring, so that contact maybemade at the instant when the airship instance, a degree-mark at,33, 33,which has tilted any selected number of degrees, I

provide the scales 31 and 32, fixed near and parallel to rods 23 and24:. The scales may 0 calibrated any suitable manner, as for would meanthat if the ring were set on the rods at the point, the pendulum wouldmake contact with the ring whenever the airship tilted 45 degrees;Correspondingmarks are placed at proper'distances above and below,

and the position of the ring may thus be adjusted with accuracy toanydegree'oftilting, which may beregardedas dangerousln casethat for anyreason the automatic pendulum switch shouldiail'in. its opera tion,'Iprovide a handswitch 34=-which con nects with wires 17 t-kandgl8ithroughwires 35 and 36 and which the exploders at any C i 1 a While I haveindicated only a single parachute and case in the drawingait is to be.

understoodthat my invention is not. to be considered-as limitedtoonealone, but that I contemplate the use of one or any number thereof,attached to the airship in suitable positions, all, however,being'arranged and operated substantially as shown.

My invention is especially adapted for use on aeroplanes wherein thedanger from tiltin is very eat.

aving Patent of the United States, modifications within the scope of theclaims being expressly reserved, is

1. In a safety device for airships, a parachute case having an explosionchamber, e losive cartridges in said chamber, elec tric exploders insaid cartridges, a ring: adjacent to-said cartridges andanelectricjcircuit connected to said ring-and said exploders.

2. In a safety devicefor airships, a paraescribed my invention, what Iclaim as new and deslre to secure by Letters chute case having anexplosion chamber, ex-

plosive cartridges in said chamber, electric exploders in saidcartridges, an electrical,

contact pendulum, fixed electrical contact ring, a circuit between saidelectric exploders, said pendulum and said ring,

4.1m a safety device for airships, means closable by contact betweensaidpendulum andwith any for-automatically closing anelectricalparachute discharging explosion: circuit, comprising an electricalcontact ring connected iii-said circuit, fixed to saidairship and tiltable therewith, and an electrical contact pendulum connected in saidcircuit and suspended inside; said ring. In testimony that I claim-theforegoing I have hereto set my hand this 31st day of Mar. 1911, in thepresenceofwitnessesi I EDWARD L. WAIGHT.

Witnesses: I BLANcnn 0. Cinema, D. B. Riormnns.

